Key container



Jan. 16, 1934. l SLQTNlCK 1,943,844

KEY CONTAINER Filed Jan, 20, 1953 Patented Jan. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

My inventionv relates to improvements in key containers of a type that can be made out of any rigid material and suitable for carrying about in pockets, handbags Iand other enclosures about 5 the person, or for being suspended from chains or belts.

The object of my invention is to provide a container of the kind described which is small and compact, in which a multiple of keys may be carried that may be readily brought out for use or inclosed in the case, and of such construction and few parts as to make the article very cheap to manufacture. A particular benefit lies in' the use of one spring accomplishing various important functions, respectively opening and closing two covers, bringing the keys to an angular position out of the case when opened to facilitate the gripping of same, and helping to maintain the keys from rattling when the case is closed. The method of opening and closing my container for the purpose of using any key therein is a feature not only particularly novel but very handy and simple to operate, and at the same time permits the device to have an ornamental and neat appearance and. one that is suitable for general display, under which circumstances it lends itself for distribution as a souvenir or advertising medium with any desired inscription on any of its external flat surfaces, the cost of manufacture as stated before not making it prohibitive to do so.

For a more particular description of my invention, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing. forming a part hereof, in which Fig. l is a top view of the key container in locked position. Y

Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the key container in locked position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3, ex-

cept showing the container in opened position.

Fig. 5 is a view of the end of the container opposite to the end where the keys are mounted.

Fig. 6 is a modified view of the end of the container as shown in Fig. 5.` A

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the container in locked position.

Fig. 8 is a View in perspective of the inner face of the top cover of the container, with the under portion thereof broken away, and revealing at the same time a modification by way of the additional part 21 therein.

Throughout the drawing, similar reference characters indicate similar parts.

V In my improved device, the main body of the container consists of the uniform side plates or walls 1 connected and bridged for a substantial distance by the rear wall 2. Opposite said rear wall the top cover 3 is pivotally mounted by means of the pin 4 having its bearings in comple- 60 mental holes located in said side plates and passing through equally complemental holes in the flanges 5 of said top cover, all of said holes being on equal plane directly opposite to each other and forming a straight path for said pin, and the said pin terminating substantially with the external surface of each of 'said plates. The mounting of such cover is such that when locked as shown in Fig..3, the outer surface of same will be flush with the upper edges of said side plates. At the rear of said top cover is the cutout 6 flanked on each side by the tail pieces 7. Adjacent to said tail pieces, the end cover 8 is pivotally mounted by means of the pin 9, also having its bearings in the complemental holes located in said side plates separately for this part and passing snugly through a tubular formation 10 formed at the bottom of saidend cover, continuing below which formation is the rocker 11. At the end of said side plates, opposite said end cover, 30 and passing through oppositely positioned complemental holes in said plates, are the screws l2 and 13, one of said screws here shown as 12 having a threaded stem 14 fitting into an internally threaded tubular shank 15 located on the other 85 screw here shown as 13. By separation of these two screws through the method of unscrewing one from the other, it is possible to mount the keys 16 on said shank, the said keys having the usual hole 17 for such and similar purpose, after 90 which the screws are again brought together screwed tight to each other in the original position. The hat spring 18 is kept in position by having the upper end secured underneath the pin 4 as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. Bent to pass down- 95 wardly, the said spring in its course bears against the contiguous surface of the rocker 11, then against the contiguous surface of the bridge 2, and nally the bend is upwardly with the opposite end of the spring bearing against the lower edges of the keys 16. With the spring so shaped and positioned, at one and the same time it stresses the top cover 3 to open as shown in Fig. 4 and to performV the various other functions about ,to be described. In the act of making said top cover 3 from position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 3 the portion of the spring resting on the rocker 11 is caused to press against the contiguous surface of said rocker, thereby pivoting the end cover 8 inwardly, in the course 110 said top cover in diminishing degree retard said end cover from immediately coming into final position, against the tension of the spring bearing with increasing intensity on the rocker 11, until the tail pieces 7 of the top cover -nally get out of contact with the inner face of said end cover, synchronously at which time the said end cover pivots into final position and the locking is complete, With the grip 19 of said end cover pressing against the transverse edge of the cutout 6, and with the under-surface of the tail pieces 7 resting on the shoulders 20 of said end cover, as shown by broken lines in Fig. 3. By the top cover being thus locked the end of the spring nearer the keys is made to yield downwardly under tension, inasmuch as the upper edges of the keys must assume a position no higher than the under-surface of the top cover. When this top cover 3 is opened by the pivoting said end cover 8 outwardly through manual pushing of said grip 19 in the same direction; the shoulders 20 no longer remain a bar to the pivoting of the top cover under the tension of the spring as mentioned whereby the cover is forced open as shown in Fig. 4, and at the same time the end of the spring nearer the keys is freed to contract to normal position, which so far as the keys are concerned places them in an angular position above the upper edges of and relative to the side plates 1, as shown in Fig. 4, making it convenient to the user to be able to grasp the keys or any of them without difficulty for the use desired.

The rubber or cushioned material 21, shown as a modification in Fig. l8, will help to compensate for various widths of the keys and eliminate any slight rattling within the container. It is secured in the position as shown in any suitable way, by wedging or otherwise.

The modified grip 19A adjacent the scoop 22 depicted in Fig. 6 is shown as one of many alternate ways that may be employed to reduce the chances of the cover being accidentally opened because of friction against the protruding part of grip 19, although in this device the locking under the tension of the spring referred to is tight enough to avoid opening on mere accidental touch. The mounting of the keys onthe screws as shown can be accomplished in other obvious methods without disturbing the functional relationship of the other parts, as on a suitably sized wire, under spring tension for opening and closing overlapping or adjoining ends thereof, the portion thereof passing through the plates being horizontal for the support of the keys as with said screws, and an outside portion thereof also acting as a loop from which to suspend the container on any chain, belt or otherwise, it being also understood that a loop or link could be attached separately with the use of the screws for the same purpose of suspension.

The flanges 5 serve not only as bearings for the pin 4 but strengthen the top cover 3 against bending, but if the material is sufficiently rigid only so much of the flange is required as is necessary to carry the pin 4.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that it is not restricted thereto, but is broad enough to covof which movement, however, the tail pieces 7 of er all structure that come within the scope of the annexed claims. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to this particular disclosure, but is susceptible of many changes and modifications which may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A key container comprising spaced parallelly arranged side plates, a rear wall connecting and bridging said side plates at one of the longitudinal edges thereof, means for mounting keys consisting of a separable horizontal support located transversely of said side plates and carried by the latter, a top cover pivotally mounted at the end of said plates opposite to that where said support is located and opposite said rear wall, having a tail port-ion extending rearwardly beyond its pivot, an end cover also pivotally mounted on said plates at a position adjacent to said top cover, said end cover having a cam surface extending inwardly of the container beyond its pivot, a spring secured adjacent the rst mentioned pivot and extending toward the inner surface of the rear wall, passing contact with said cam surface and of such configuration as to stress the first mentioned cover toward opening position and as to stress at the same time any keys in said holder to an angular position above the heightof and relative to said plates, and as to cam said end cover into closing position when said top cover is lowered under tension to its closing position while bearing at the same time against the bottom edges of said keys, said top cover being maintained in closed position by an upper portion of said end cover resting immediately underneath said tail portion of said top cover, and means for manually withdrawing one cover from the other while so closed to permit the top cover to fly back to opened position.

2. A key container as described in claim 1, having cushionedvmeans for compensating for various widths of keys to prevent any rattling thereof when said container is closed.

3. A key container provided with a housing having a top cover pivotally mounted at one end of parallelly arranged side plates and carrying a tail portion extending rearwardly of its pivot, an under-portion opposite said top cover and bridging said plates, an end cover also pivotally mounted on said plates adjacent said top cover. said end cover having a cam surface extending inwardly of said housing beyond its pivot, a spring secured adjacent the first mentioned pivot extending toward the inner surface of said underportion, passing contact with said cam surface and of such configuration as to stress the rst mentioned cover toward opening position and as to cam under tension said end cover into closing position when said top cover is lowered to its closing position, said top cover being maintained in closed position by an upper portion of said end cover resting immediately underneath the tail portion of said top cover, and means for manually withdrawing one cover from the other'A 

